Overview & Reviews

For more than 100 years now, Ford Motor Company has been selling mass-produced automobiles in the United States and around the globe. Known as one of the Big Three American manufacturers, Ford has attracted millions of loyal customers with a wide range of vehicles that offer considerable value. The automaker's trucks and SUVs have been especially popular. For decades, Ford's F-Series truck has been the best-selling vehicle in America.

The company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903. Ford dreamed of building a car for the masses, and that's precisely what he did, most notably with the immortal Model T of 1908-'27. The latter was bought by 16.5 million Americans during its 20-year lifespan and was affordable enough for Ford's own factory workers to purchase. Ford's early years were also distinguished by its introduction of the moving assembly line. It was the first to utilize this more cost-effective method of production, and its innovation became a mainstay of the manufacturing process.

Ford expanded into the luxury-car market with its purchase of Lincoln Motor Company in 1925. Over the next few years, the company broadened its focus even further by creating the Mercury division to produce mid-priced cars. By the late '30s, Ford had unveiled the stylish Lincoln Zephyr, introduced a low-priced V8 engine and built more than 25 million vehicles.

The 1950s saw the introduction of the legendary Thunderbird. Offering sleek styling and spirited performance wedded to available luxury features like power windows and a signal-seeking radio, the car was a huge hit. Another model of that decade, the Edsel, met with a somewhat less enthusiastic reception. In the wake of abysmal sales, the Edsel was discontinued just a few months into its third model year.

Ford regained its footing in the early 1960s with the introduction of the compact Falcon, a model that was warmly received by the public. By the middle of the decade the automaker had given enthusiasts something to cheer about with the launch of the sporty Mustang, a car that went on to become one of the biggest sellers of its day. Buyers adored the Mustang's low price, available powerful V8 engines and sporty styling. The Mustang even created a brand-new vehicle category: the pony car.

By the 1970s, Ford, like other domestic automakers, was starting to suffer the effects of changing consumer tastes and new government regulations. Many of its cars became shadows of their former selves. But the seeds of rebirth were planted in this decade. In 1979, the company acquired a stake in Mazda; this move would later aid Ford significantly in co-development projects. The company also emerged with a new mindset of global competitiveness.

By the mid-to-late '80s, Ford was showing new strength with its popular Escort and Taurus models while further expanding its empire with the purchase of the Aston Martin and Jaguar brands. Meanwhile, its full-size LTD sedan (later renamed the Crown Victoria) remained a staple of taxi companies and police forces throughout America.

Ford rode a wave of popularity in the 1990s, thanks in part to the huge success of its Explorer midsize SUV. The truck played a huge role in ushering in the era of the SUV. In 1999, Ford expanded its family yet again with the purchase of Volvo's car division, and, in 2000, it acquired Land Rover. For awhile, there was talk of Ford even taking General Motors' spot as the No. 1 automaker in the world.

But the new millennium initially saw a downturn for Ford. Increased competition, a continuing operating loss for Jaguar, legacy costs and a reliance on SUVs for profit took their toll. To compensate, the company sold Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo and introduced a wave of successful new products. Models like the F-150, Fusion, Fiesta, Focus, Flex and Mustang have allowed Ford to regain its health and standing as a very competitive manufacturer.

User Reviews:

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  Go kart handling, go kart fit and finish. - 2010 Ford Focus
  By mitsu3kgto - November 12 - 9:06 am

  I bought this car for a cheap fuel savvy commuter and it was just that. Ive had the car from new and now have 70,000 miles on it. It has never broken down and I have averaged 30mpg during my ownership. I drive this car extremely rough and demand a lot more out of it than it can really put up with, so for that it wins some points. I bought this car knowing I wouldnt have it for life, I changed the oil every 10,000 miles. The original brakes were terrible and vibrated from the beginning so I swapped them out, as with the tires that wore out at 20k and were god awful in the rain. I slapped some expensive tires on and it made the car much better overall.

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  FX2 w/ Ecoboost - 2012 Ford F-150
  By chevy80c10 - November 2 - 11:53 pm

  Well i traded in my 04 z71 ext cab for this thing. At first i was extremely impressed with the power the ecoboost had, especially over chevys 5.3. Over time though (its been a year) I honestly wished that i kept my silverado. The advertised gas mileage is a croc. I barely get 20 out of it on the highway with cruise on. TX speed limit on most of the highways i travel is 75, and i barely can get over 18 with it. If you are looking at one with a 5.0 go with that, at least you know youre getting near your advertised mileage. The low end torque is great for pulling but its not that much different over the 5.0 honestly. This truck had a hefty price tag and i wouldnt buy one again.

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  I want to love this car...but I just cant - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By ipman501 - October 24 - 8:33 am

  Bought the car brand new from the dealership (figured its cheaper to buy a new car and make payments instead of buying used and continually having to make repairs). Everything was fine up to about 8k miles. Then we started noticing weird transmission stuff (more on that later). Noticed weather-stripping on top of car is now coming loose (only 18k miles on the car). Not very comfortable, seats are hard. But I get 39mpg on the highway and 29mpg in the city. That is definitely the redeeming quality of the car. My wife wanted it because of the "Candy Blue" color, haha. No cruise control is kinda a deal breaker for me. Shouldnt that be standard in this day-in-age?

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  MPG not as advertised - 2013 Ford Escape
  By sonni - October 20 - 4:14 pm

  Leased the top of the line AWD in July. I reside in Staten Island NY and drive a combo of local and highway. The vehicle is really nice. All the bells and whistles, comfrtable, great sound system, etc. However, the advertised MPG has not materialized to date, (the manager of my deaership said the eco-boost kicks in at around 5,000 miles). Furthermore, I consider myself to have a very light foot. So to keep it simple, its a great mid sized SUV and I would recomend it, its a quality vehicle. But if youre buying it because of the high MPG, dont. According to the cars own instrament panel, Im getting a combined 17 mpg now. Much less than I expected. Range on full tank is only 270 miles.

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  happy with windstar - 2001 Ford Windstar
  By massroor1969 - October 19 - 11:05 pm

  I have ford windstar minivan and I am driving it from 2010 I naiver have any problem with it. I drive it across Canada along with towing UHALL container from Ontario to Saskatoon I really enjoy the comfort drive

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  155,000 and still going strong - 2010 Ford Fusion
  By mike_in_parma - October 18 - 6:57 am

  Bought mine new and was impressed with build quality from the start. Its just an SE with sunroof and spoiler as options. On my third set of tires and just replaced the serpentine belt. My driving is 75% highway. Change oil myself and thats about all the maintenance it has required, until recently just replaced the fuel injector throttle body at a Ford dealership. The ride is a little choppy but overall very easy to drive and park. I hope to get another 100K out her!

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  I Hate This Car - 2013 Ford Edge
  By bgk99 - October 18 - 2:28 am

  Every day I regret trading in my 2010 Edge (which I loved) for this horrid excuse of a car. The navigation system never works, the audio system functions are atrocious and trying to HANG UP from a telephone call? Mind boggling frustration. Im tempted to take the car to Tijuana and leave the keys in the ignition. For as much as I loved my 2010 Edge is as much as I hate this car.

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  $800... - 1999 Ford Taurus
  By aicfriedel - October 16 - 4:35 pm

  I bought my Taurus for $100 with 185000. It needed new struts, y-pipe, and a muffler. I replaced the spark plugs, wires, and air filter it didnt need it i just decided to do it. In the end i payed $800 dollars for it and have been diving it for 2.5 years. A common flaw with these cars is the rocker panels rot but it has 203000 miles now and its been driven through New Hampshire winters for 14 years so rot is expected especially with these cars. The engine is noisy but the drivers seat is super comfy. The trunk and back seat has a lot of room. The interior is OK. The plastic on the dash is separating and its kind of cheap but for 800 bucks ill get over it. Love my Taurus.

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  Steering Knock - 2012 Ford Fiesta
  By 100peter - October 8 - 2:04 pm

  I have a Fiesta Zetec with a 1.4 TCI engine. I have had this car since 2010 and until early this year I have had no problems. A knock started to appear when I turned the steering in either direction. The vehicle was taken to both a Ford garage and an indepndent garage but despite changing the tie bar links the knock was still present, and after the vehicle had been lifted off its wheels the knock was more excessive. I discovered the cause of the problem and have informed both garages of what I had discovered. By unlocking the steering wheen height adjuster and lowering the steering wheel by a very small amount (5mm) the knock has been resolved.

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  It always gets the job done and then some. - 1996 Ford F-250
  By lenan - October 2 - 12:30 pm

  Over the last 160k miles this truck has been excellent. The 7.3L Power Stroke really is an amazing engine. Its got an incredible amount of torque on tap weve never had a single issue with it. Im confident that I could tow or haul just about anything with this truck. Youve also got to love that classic styling. Id be lying if I said there havent been a few fairly expensive repairs, but almost all of the major components still run like the day it was driven off the lot. Its spent its entire life in Colorado so its seen plenty of (sometimes very deep) snow, which its handled excellently. They dont use salt on the roads in most of the state, so theres surprisingly little rust.